BOGOTA, COLOMBIA—Metro Hotels, headquartered here, and HiltonWorldwide on Tuesday said they'd signed an agreement for Metro toopen eight new Hampton by Hilton properties that will introduce thebrand to Chile and Peru, with four in each country. It representsthe biggest development for the brand in the region in recent yearsand will triple Hilton's presence in the two countries.

“Peru and Chile have shown great potential in offering tourismand business opportunities,” says Ian Carter, president of globaldevelopment, architecture and design, Hilton Worldwide. “This is agreat time to expand Hilton Worldwide's presence in thesemarkets.”

At Metro, development manager Felipe Galeano says his companyintends “to continue our growth strategy in Latin Americancountries with stable and healthy economies, and position Hamptonby Hilton as the most important brand for business travelers in thebiggest and intermediate cities.” The two companies previouslypartnered on the 105-key Hampton by Hilton Cali, which openedrecently in Colombia.